Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Number of cops killed by gunfire in 2013 dips to 33, lowest since 1887

The number of law enforcement authorities killed by gunfire
dipped to 33 in 2013, the lowest total since the Wild West days of 1887,
according to a report from a law enforcement advocacy group.

The number of police officers felled by bullets around the
nation has been trending downward in recent years, but the 125-year low
reported by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund was welcome
news for the nation's peacekeepers. Experts also noted that overall
line-of-duty deaths of federal, state, local, tribal and territorial officers
dropped to 111, the lowest total since 1959.

“The only good news is zero deaths, but this very
significant drop in law enforcement fatalities the past two years is extremely
encouraging,” said Craig Floyd, chairman and CEO of the fund. “Our
organization, in partnership with others, is working hard to create a new
culture of safety in law enforcement that no longer accepts deaths and injuries
as an unavoidable part of the job. This year’s officer fatality report is
strong evidence that this intensified effort to promote law enforcement safety
is making a difference.”

Floyd's organization this week put out its annual report
chronicling the improved numbers, noting that increased use of body armor could
bring shooting deaths of police down even further.

According to the Officer Down Memorial Page — which also
tracks police deaths dating back to 1822, but had 2013 numbers that were
slightly different from those of the NLEOMF — automobile accidents were the
second-biggest killer of police officers, claiming 26 lives, followed by seven
deaths due to being struck by a vehicle. One police officer in Detroit died six
months after being struck by accidental gunfire.

The annual report from NLEOMF credited an increased culture
of safety among law enforcement agencies, including increased use of
bulletproof vests, that followed a spike in deaths in 2011. Since that time,
officer fatalities across all categories have decreased by 34 percent, and gun
deaths have fallen by 54 percent.

Among law enforcement officers killed by gunfire last year,
just two were women: Police Officer Patricia Parete of the Buffalo (N.Y.)
Police Department, who died on Feb. 2; and Santa Cruz (Calif.) Police
Department Det. Elizabeth Butler, who died on Feb. 26 while investigating a
sexual assault.

The Officer Down Memorial Page tally also includes four
police dogs, including Koda of the Leon County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office, Kilo
of the Indiana State Police, Ronin of the Glendale (Arizona) Police Department
and Ape, who was fatally shot in March just three weeks after completing his
FBI training, according to the website.

The most recent gunfire death among law enforcement officers
occurred last week when Sgt. Kevin “Gale” Stauffer, 38, of the Tupelo Police
Department was shot on Dec. 23 as he responded to a bank robbery in
Mississippi. Stauffer, a nine-year veteran who previously served with the
Louisiana Army National Guard, was posthumously promoted to the rank of sergeant
and is survived by his wife and two young children.

Conversely, the gunfire-related death of Police Officer
Kevin Tonn of the Galt (Calif.) Police Department on Jan. 15 marked the first
among law enforcement officers in 2013, according to the website. The
35-year-old U.S. Army veteran was killed as he responded to a burglary in
progress.

Among the 105 total line-of-duty deaths tallied by the
website last year, 13 occurred in Texas, followed by 10 in California and 7 in
Mississippi. Nine were federal law enforcement officers whose deaths occurred
in various locations. The overwhelming majority — 101 — were men and their
average age was 42. The median tour of duty among the fallen officers exceeded
13 years, according to the website. February was the deadliest month, with 14
fatalities, followed by September (13) and December (12).

In 2012, 47 of the 123 line-of-duty fatalities were
classified as death by gunfire, with an additional two accidental fatalities.
In 1887, a total of 44 law enforcement officers were killed, 30 of whom
succumbed to gunfire. Another two officers were killed by accidental gunfire,
according to the website.